Ironing table



May 23, 1939. G. w. LEWIS 2,159,662

v momma TABLE Filed Oct. 9, 1936 s Shbets-Sheet 1A INVENTOR fizaxm: WLA'W/J g TORNEY S May 2 3, 1939. 3 w w s 2,159,662

IRONING TABLE Filed Oct. 9, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 z; INVENTOR 65000: MLL'w/s May 23, 1939- G. w. LEWIS 24,159,662

' momma TABLE 7 Filed Oct. 9, 1936 s Sheets-Shet s INVENTOR 650m:- MLL'M +71% TTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 o-FFrc s moNiNG TABLE George W; Lewis, Hudson, Mass;- Application otttb'er 9, 1936; Srial'No; 164,866

5 -Claims'.-

'I'his--inventiorr relatesto an improved ironing table of the fO-ldifig type;

Among the Objects 6f the invention is to secure greatrsrigidity in the supporting structure'and iltomatiw folding f the tab-1e;

dtailstofi 'theconstruction'*-will be made apparent in the following specificatitin and claims? Fig. 1 -is a side Viewoftheta-bIe in unfolded or operative position;

Fig; 2' is a side" View of-th'e table in "partially folded positiom som'ewhlt short of theposition lit tliatgit autdmatically assumes when the catch is released I 3 is I a SiIIliIaD View showingthe folding operation carried a step further; I

Fig. 4 is a View of the underside of the table'- 01 fiwithsthe" parts in completely folded: position;- Flgs.:5; r6 and 7 are detail views of parts of the supporting structure;

FigshS, 9,:and 10' are views similar to-Figs. 1, 2 andlA respectively but s'howing an alternative Fig. 111sa section-substantially on line 'I I --I I Of JIFi gZ-i 8. 7

Referring tow-the drawings, IIl-designates--an ironingxboard't of usual or desired shape. A pair -infuspaoed:cross pieces II' and I2 are secured-to theuundersi'de of the" board and serve to space I two longitudinally positioned membersgis and I 4-froma :the underside of the 2 table- The -memt by countersunk belts or ri-vets I 5 passing'through saidy member's at their point of intersection:

Cross pi'eces l I ana -I2 may be further secured" ll and lt are cross-braced at II andthe cross braces are held to the legs by diagonal brace rods 23; *the'en'ds of which are bent and-extend through i 45 -the legs and crossbraces and *are upset as indicatedtwat 24 to rivet"the-= cross braces in place.

The upper 'cross bra'beisslotted at 22*as best;

{ shown in Figni-for- -a purpose-later described.

A third supporting r1eg "is provided in the Q 5 *;form'lof: collapsible frame structure which coin-- prises a"lstrut f25 aand twdlegi members -ZI5 an d" 2 The upper end iof strut 25-"is pivoted lat-"28 to a-bldck 2 9 securdby rivets 30 to the underside of the board I'III mauppemnastr legme'mbers 3! dig. 4) to a man, theefid's o'f whijl sli e in the guideways 33 formed bt' th'espaces be tween members I3jand' I fand the underside of the table as best shownin Figs. 1 and 2. The lower endsof leg members 26"and'21 are con ver'ged together and pivotally connected to opposite sides of thelower end of strut 25 as at 34;

A locking strut member is provided which is shown' as comprising two members 35 and 36 respectively pivoted as at 31 toleg membersfze 10 and 21, and connected together at their ends re mote'from piv'ots 3 1 by jarod38 which serves as a convenient handle for operating theloclging strut as later described; The opposite ends of members 35 and 36 are extende djslightly' beyond 15 thefinterrn ediate portion of the rod from the strut 5 to form a guideway 43; A V-shaped link 44 'has its apex engaged around rod 42 to slide in guide Way43; the ends: 01' the" legs of 1ink'44'bein'gfpiv otally'secuied to legs 11 and I8, as best shown openingin the legsand upsetting the ends. Any suitable collapsible linkage m'ay be' substituted for the sliding linkageshown. v I

The operation will now be described. Referring to Fig, 1 which shows the tablefiinsetupi position, 5

it will'be seen that legs II-'-I8 and strut 25" are arranged in crossed relationand held agains further spreading by V-link 44 which engages the upper end of guidewa'yfl. Rod 32 is heldat the lugs of which engagev upper brace ZI Mein-i terms-:21; ss*- ss"ana 25 thus constitute a rigid triangular mem er 'and ddwnward pressure on the right hand portionoftheboardisfor the zn'ost mainder being transmitted by" strut 354st t legs I'I I B and strut} set up" position strut 25 I engages" in the" slot 22" formed in*upper"brace 2 I, preventing side sway.

part carried 'dowrr IegLme mbe'rs 26- 21, the, re 45 5 tzetatid ti -arerivetedor:otherwise-securedas at substantially'the partiallifoldedposition showtim in Fig. 2 without other effort on the part of the operator than the lifting of strut 35 to release lugs 40. As will be seen from Fig. 2, table It] in its downward movement engages the extended ends 39 of struts 3536, thereby raising the opposite ends of the struts. In Fig. 2 the parts have been stopped somewhat short of the limit of the automatic collapse in order to better illustrate the movement of the parts. The completion of the folding is accomplished by simply swinging the upper end of the board in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 3 whereupon link 44 drops downwardly in guideway 43 as shown by arrow C while legs 11-48 are drawn towards a collapsed position against the underside of the board as indicated by arrow D. The folding is completed, when the legs I1l 8 have approached as near the board as may be conveniently accomplished by movement of the board in direction A, by moving the structure bodily to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 with the weight on legs I l and I8 as shown in Fig. 4.

In unfolding or setting up theetable from collapsed position it is only necessary to tilt the board from the position shown in Fig. 4 towards the position of Fig. 3 when continued pressure on the upper end of the board carries the parts through the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 2 to that of Fig. l, the lock strut 35-35 drop-ping into place to releasably lock the parts in position.

In Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive is shown an alternative embodiment of the invention which in some respects is preferable to that previously described in that greater regidity is secured in the table when set up. The leg and board structures and their connection to each other is in all respects similar to those previously described and similar parts are designated by the same reference characters. In the form shown in Figs.

8 to 11 the locking strut 35-36 which acts directly on upper cross brace 2| is replaced by a shorter strut comprising two members 56 and 5| acting indirectly on the upper cross brace 2! through a wedging engagement with strut 25. Members 50 and 5! are respectively pivoted as at 52 to leg members 26 and 21, and are connected together at their ends remote from said pivots by a cross piece 53 preferably formed of metal. The cross piece 53 is shown as secured to members 50 and 5| (see Fig. 11) by crossed brace rods 54, the end portions of which extend through the parts and are bent over or upset in the same fashion .as described with regard to diagonal brace rods 23.

The length of members 50-5l and the position of cross piece 53 thereon is made such that a when the table is set up as shown in Fig, 8, cross piece 53 is wedged tightly against strut 25 in turn wedging the latter tightly into slot 22 of upper cross brace 2! thus holding the table rigidly in set up position until strut member 55 5| is forcibly moved upwardly. When the table is set up strut 5El--5I is slightly past dead center.

To maintain the lower end of strut members 50--5l in proper relation with strut 25 when the table is in folded condition and while it is being foldedv or set up, cross piece 53 is constrained to slide in a guideway 55 formed by a rod 56, the ends of which are bent and, secured on the strut 25 to space the rod a sufiicient distance to permit In the form 4 has been replaced by a chain 58 of suitable length but it will be understood that these structures are merely illustrative of any suitable type of collapsible connection between the parts at this point.

While I have shown what is in eifect a three leg table it will be obvious that the same principle of construction is applicable to a four leg table or the character of the leg units can be reversed, that is, the triangular frame structure could provide a two point support and legs l'|-l8 be brought together to form a single support or could take the form of a single member.

I claim:

1. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of leg members pivoted to the under side of the board and pivoted together at their lower ends to form, with the board, a triangular support when the table is in set-up position, the pivotal connection of one of said leg members to the board being fixed, and a guide for the pivotal connection of the second leg member permitting limited sliding motion thereof toward and from the fixed pivot of the first leg member to permit folding of the leg members against the under side of the board, a third leg member pivoted to the under side of the board between the pivots of said pair of leg members and forming with one of said leg members a crossed support, the pivotal connection of said third leg member being fixed, a strut member releasably engageable between that leg member having a slidable pivot and said crossed support to releasably hold said slidable pivot in its position remote from the fixed pivots of the other leg members to lock the table in set-up position, and a connection between those leg members having fixed pivots to prevent their separation beyond a predetermined limit.

2. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of legs pivoted to the underside of the board, cross braces'connecting said legs so that they swing as a unit, a frame structure forming a third supporting leg, said frame structure comprising leg members pivoted to the underside of the board on opposite sides of the pivot of said pair of legs, longitudinally of the board, the leg members of the frame being pivotally connected together to form, with the board, a triangular support when the table is in set up position, the pivotal connection of one of said leg frame members with the board being fixed, and a guide for the pivotal connection of the second leg frame member permitting limited. sliding motion thereof toward and from the fixed pivot of the other leg frame member to permit folding of said frame structure against the underside of the board, a locking strut member pivoted to that leg member of said frame which is provided with the slidable pivot and engageable with one of said cross braces to releasably hold said frame in set up triangular relation and a connection between the pair of legs and a leg member of said frame to prevent their separation beyond a predetermined limit.

3. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of legs pivoted to the underside of the board, cross braces connecting said legs so that they swing as a unit, a frame structure forming a third supporting leg, said frame structure comprising leg members pivoted to the underside of the board on oppositesides of the pivot of said pair of legs, longitudinally of the board, the leg members of the frame being pivotally connected together to form, with the fixed pivot of the other leg frame member to permit folding of said frame structure against the underside of the board, a locking strut member pivoted to that leg member of said frame which is provided with a slidable pivot and engageable with one of saidlcross braces to releasably hold said frame in set up triangular relation and a linkage between the pair of legs and a leg mem- Y ber of said frame to prevent their separation beyond a predetermined limit, said strut being extended beyond its pivot sufficiently to engage the underside of the board upon collapse of the frame to maintain said strut out of engagement of said cross brace as the parts move to folded position.

4. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of legs pivoted to the underside of the board, cross braces connecting said legs sothat they swing as a unit, a frame structure forming a third supporting leg, said frame structure comprising leg members pivoted to the underside of the board on opposite sides of the pivot of said pair of legs, longitudinally of the board, the leg members of the frame being pivotally connected together to form, with the board, a triangular support when the table is in set up position, the pivotal connection of one of said leg frame members with the board being fixed, and a guide for the pivotal connection of the second leg frame member permitting limited sliding motion thereof toward and from the fixed pivot of the other leg frame member to permit folding of said frame structure against the underside of the board, a locking strut member connecting that leg member of said frame which is provided with a slidable pivot and the member of the frame having a fixed pivot, said locking strut member being'pivoted to one of said frame members and having a sliding connection with the other member, and a connection between the pair of legs and a leg member of said frame to prevent their separation beyond a predetermined limit.

5. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of legs pivoted to the underside of the board, cross braces connecting said legs so that they swing as a unit, a frame structure forming a third supporting leg, said frame structure comprising leg members pivoted to the underside of the board on opposite sides of the pivot of said pair of legs, longitudinally of the board, the leg members of the frame being pivotally connected together to form, with the board, a triangular support when the table is in set up position, the pivotal connection of one of said leg frame members with the board being fixed, and a guide for the pivotal connection of the second leg frame member permitting limited sliding motion thereof toward and from the fixed pivot of the other leg frame member to permit folding of said frame structure against the underside of the board, a locking strut member pivoted to that leg member of said frame which is provided with the slidable pivot and having its opposite end slidably connected to that frame member which has a fixed pivot, and a connection between the pair of legs and a leg member of said frame to prevent their separation beyond a predetermined limit.

GEORGE W. LEWIS. 

